BE INSPIRED : SIR KEN ROBINSON
I’m so glad I’m not a high schooler anymore because tomorrow is the first day back at school for many kids across the UK. The long summer holiday is over and a new school year begins. I hated the first day of school, and I hated every single day thereafter! School never engaged me and I served my time in education like a bank robber serves time in jail.
I’m sure there have been many leaps and bounds made in education since I was in high school. But back then I loathed the fact that I was measured by nothing more than my ability to score well in academic tests that ignored so much of who I was and who I believed I could be. I rebelled against a system that seemed crippled and unable to recognize or place any worth in the creative subjects I excelled in and enjoyed.
In the video below Sir Ken Robinson asserts that the traditional education systems of the world educate people out of their creativity. In his talk he makes a compelling and entertaining case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity, rather than undermining it. With ample anecdotes and witty asides, Robinson points out the many ways our schools fail to recognize, much less cultivate, the creative talents of many.
“[Children] are not frightened being wrong. Now, I don’t mean to say that being wrong is same as being creative, but what we do know is: if you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original… and by the time they get to be adults, most of the kids have lost that capacity.” Says Robinson.
No matter if you loved or loathed school, I seriously recommend taking 18 minutes out of your day to watch this talk given by Sir Ken Robinson TED in 2006.
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Sir Ken Robinson
Be inspired : Ben Saunders
TED conference
Wrote the following comment on Sep 2, 2007 at 5:30 pm
Well I have to say that being a teacher there is a hole lot of what Sir Ken Robinson was saying there that makes so much sense.
I especially agree with the bit about degrees. He is right in that 30 years ago a degree meant a job, whereas now that is not the case. Degrees have been de-valued because so many people are taking then thanks to the government forcing people down that route when, as Ken says, that route is probably not for them.
Oh and by the way, it is not just kids that are going back to school tomorrow, us teachers have that pleasure too! ;(
Wrote the following comment on Sep 2, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Well Mark, you’re not required by law to be there. You could get another job if you wanted, whereas the pupils don’t have that same luxury. :-)
Wrote the following comment on Sep 2, 2007 at 7:22 pm
That’s true. No I like my job or else I wouldn’t continue doing it. Yeh sure there are lots of things that could be changed and that get on your nerves, but that could be said for any job. Anyway tomorrow is an INSET (In Service Training Day) with no pupils so it eases us back into work life.
Wrote the following comment on Sep 2, 2007 at 8:35 pm
Educate their whole being! What a phrase. Really enjoyed the speech Simon, you were right (for once!) :-)
“if you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original… ” this is going up outside my DT room, so they know when they come in they CAN be wrong :-)
Lovin this Ken guy… where did you get the link?
Wrote the following comment on Sep 2, 2007 at 8:36 pm
Us teachers sound right geeky when you get us started!!! x
Wrote the following comment on Sep 2, 2007 at 8:45 pm
I especially knew you’d appreciate this post Paula. Sir Ken was a speaker at a conference called TED that takes place once a year in California. He’s a Liverpool lad don’t ya know! Stick a curly wig and a mustache on him and I reckon he could still pass as a scouser!
Wrote the following comment on Sep 2, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Alright simon… sterotype us!… i dont have a curly wig and definatly not a mustache!(well not a proper one :-))
He’s got the scouse humour tho!
Wrote the following comment on Sep 2, 2007 at 10:06 pm
What a fantastic speaker… love his message, he is dead on. Is making me rethink my kids’ education, and even my own continued learning.
So glad you shared this video… I’ve passed it on to friends and kin to peruse. His is a message that needs to be propagated…
Wrote the following comment on Sep 3, 2007 at 3:00 pm
boo back at’cha
Wrote the following comment on Sep 4, 2007 at 11:29 pm
Simon… excellent….
Wrote the following comment on Sep 6, 2007 at 9:44 am
I was a teacher in a primary school for many years left because I could no long deliver a curriculum so narrow and rigid that it sucked the life out of me and the children. Now I worry as my beautiful and talented daughter is labelled precocious and difficult. What is possibly most annoying is that most teachers will agree with much of what is said but are largely ignored as education continues to be driven by political and business demands.